Bobbin-clutching spinning-spindle.



c. 0. LANN ING.

BOBBIN CLUTCHING SPINNING SPINDLE.

APPLICATI ON FILED APR. 20. l9l2.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

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Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented N Application filed April 20, 1912. Serial No. 691,990.

This invention relates to bobbin clutching In order that the pram spinning spindles. ciple thereof may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying-drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation of a bobbin clutching spinning spindle embodying my invention and showing a bobbin in section positioned thereon; Fig... 2 is a vertical section of the spindle and bobbin shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the bobbin removed; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line le-4 of Fig. 2, the bobbin being. in position; Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 8, the bobbin being."

so far as I am aware without complete success, with the exception of that disclosed in the patent to J ohn V. Cunniff, No. 1,024,396.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide the spindle'with a fixed non-yielding base to enter the enlarged lower portion of the bobbin, but in such constructions the.

bobbin has been held in position either too loosely or too tightly, the former condition resulting from the application of too little.

force in positioning the bobbin, and the latter condition resulting from forcing the bobbin down upon the spindle too violently.

In the former case, the bobbin works loose during the spinning operation, andin the latter case it is difficult to removethe filled bobbin in dofiing.

Attempts have also been made to provide spindles with spring arms to engage the inpro terior of the bobbin, but it has been necessary to modify the structure of the bobbin by boring or grooving the same, thus seriously interfering with its operation, or to provide a structure which quickly clogs with lint and dirt.

Attempts have also been made toprovide an effective bobbin clutching spindle having centrifugally acting arms or members which when the spindle is at rest are not in bobbin driving gripping engagement with .the bobbln, but which when the spindle is driven are intended to move radially outward and .clutch the interior of the bobbin.

These devices, however, are not efficient, as

they do not center the bobbin when the latter is first applied thereto and the spindle is .at rest, but such partial centering of the bobbin as can occur must take place only after the spindle has acquired momentum in rotation. It is exceedingly important that the bobbin be accurately centered when first positioned upon the spindle and the latter is at rest. The radially movable blades of centrifugally acting spindles are peculiarly liable to become clogged and necessitate frequent cleaning. When clogged they lose their capacity for centrifugal action and. become fixed in a position presenting either too small a peripheral surface to clutch the bobbin effectively or too large a surface to receive the bobbin. If the blades become clogged at their upper ends,then they are fixedly held in an unduly expanded condition and the bobbin cannot be placed thereon. If on the contrary the blades become clogged at the bottom, then they present too small a peripheral surface to clutch the bobbin. Other objections exist to vcentrifugally acting bobbin clutching devices which it is unnecessary to set forth fully herein.

I have overcome the objections incident to the several types of bobbin clutching spindles by providing a set of stifily resilient spring arms which center the bobbin immediately upon its receipt thereon and. while the spindle is at rest, and so construct or equipusaid spring arms or certain of them as to provide a bobbin seat which instead of being distinct from the spring arms iscarried thereby. Preferably the spring arms are so constructed as to exclude all lint and foreign matter from that portion of the spindle enveloped by them, and they occupy their maximum outward position when the spindle i's'at rest and the bobbin is removed,

'sothat they are slightly compressed by the bobbin when positioned thereon, this result- .ing inan immediate driving grip between the bobbin and the spindle. Moreover, the

construction of parts is such that the in lower end and is preferably provided with an upper band portion exteriorly and rigidly'engaging'the spindle structure. The spring arms of the shell or member have their outer surfaces normally spaced diametrically in excess of the diameter of the bobbin chamber when the spindle is at rest and thebobbin is removed, so that the lower portion of .these arms flares into the path of the bobbin chamber wall upon bobbin placement.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the spindle blade is represented at 1, it being of any suitable construction and preferably formed of the usual spindle 'steel. .The whirl is represented at 2-and is rigid with the spindle blade, it being herein shown as provided with an upwardly ex-.

tending head 3. Obviously, however, the whirl may be mounted upon the spindle blade in any suitable manner.

At a suitable point above the whirl and near the base of the bobbin 4 when the latter is in position upon the spindle, I apply a metallic shell, sleeve or device 5 rigid with the spindle andpreferably driven or shrunk thereon, such shell or'sleeve having an upper collar-like portion 6 rigidly engaging the spindle blade. This shell may be formed of any suitable material and is preferably of so-called brown spring steel. The shell or sleeve 5 is of a general tapering form and is extended downward fiaringly to a point below the lower end of the bobbin when in position upon the spindle and is there equipped or formed with a bobbin seat, which may be provided by suitably turning outward the lower end of the arms of the sleeve or shell or certain of them, as indicated at 7 in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, thus permitting the bobbin seat to be positioned lowdown upon the spindle with reference to the whirl. I

In order to cause the sleeve orshell 5 to clutch the bobbin 4, the former is preferably slitted longitudinally at a plurality of points as indicated at 8 to provide a series of arms 9, the number of-spring arms into which the shell is thus divided being herein represented as six, though obviously a smaller or greater number may be provided within the scope of my invention. Preferably the slits 8 are narrow and the spindle is wholly enveloped by the arms 9, so that lint and other foreign matter cannot find its way between said arms and the portion of the spindle surrounded thereby. Furthermore, with the construction shown, it is substantially impossible for lint and other foreign matter to enter between the base of the shell and the whirl.

In that form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, each of the spring arms 9 is represented as formed with outwardly turned formations, flanges or feet 7 to constitute a bobbin seat. Preferably I provide in conjunction with the said feet 7 or certain of them a ring or other cooperating bobbin support, herein indicated at 10. I have represented alternate flanges or feet 7 three in number, as slightly concaved, as indicated at 11 and fit thereon in any suitable manner the ring 10 having as represented a convex inner edge throughout a portion at least of its extent, so as to engage the concave faces of the flanges 7.

The shell or member is preferably made from solid stock and is finished substantially as shown. It is then slotted and the ring 10 is firmly and closely fitted onto certain of the spring arms.

Viewing Figs. 4: and 5, it will be evident that the flanges or feet 7 upon those spring arms 9 that engage the ring 10 are of greater radial extent than the corresponding formations upon the intermediate spring arms, which latter are therefore free from the ring and being inherently expansive are free to extend outwardly to a greater extent than the larger feet or flanges 7, as represented in Figs. 4: and 5, so that such alternate or intervening spring arms are yieldingly positioned to receive and engage the inner face of the bobbin chamber wall when the bobbin is positioned, thereby immediately centering the same and yield inwardly sufficiently to effect a tight engagement of the bobbin and the said spring arms of the shell. This compression of the alternate arms 9 need not be sufficient to cause the said arms to move into contact with the head of the whirl, but it results in the immediate centering of the bobbin upon the spindle bestantially its extreme lower end, so that the point of greatest and most effective gripping action is at the bottom of the bobbin.

Therefore, the bobbin is driven evenly and.

smoothly and will not wabblewhen the spindle is driven at high speed.

The shell or member is not only downwardly flaring, but is inherently expansive; that is, upon bobbin removalthe arms of the shell inherently and normally expand even with the spindle in a condition of rest.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention wherein each of the several spring arms 12 is provided with an outwardly extending flange or foot 13 devoid of an encircling ring, such as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. In this form of my invention the several flanges or feet 13 may be of the same radial extent, and

said arms 12 are simultaneously engaged andcontracted by the inner bobbin chamber wall when the bobbin is positioned upon the spindle.

A spindle constructed in accordance with my invention always remains balanced and runs true. The weight of the bobbin is gen erally suificient to cause a driving engagement between the spring arms and the bobbin, and the bobbin remains tightly gripped while the rotation of the bobbin continues.

Having thus described one illustrative embodimentof my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A spindle comprising a spindle blade, a whirl mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, bobbin supporting and centering member mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms, and a bobbin seating band applied to a portion only of said arms.

2. A spindle comprising a spindle blade; a whirl unyieldingly mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, open-ended, inherently expansive bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms provided with bobbin supporting feet, and a cooperating bobbin supporting band supported circumferentially of said feet by said bobbin supporting and centering member.

' -3. A spindle comprising a spindle blade,

4. A spindle comprising a spindle blade;

5. A spindle comprising a spindle blade; 1

a whirl unyieldably mounted thereon; a downwardly flaring, open-ended, bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinal'ly divided into a series of arms provided with outwardly extending bobbin seating feet, the feet of alternate arms being of greater radial extent than those of the remaining arms, and an encircling bobbin supporting band carried by said feet of greater radial extent.

6. A spindle comprising a spindle blade; a whirl unyieldably mounted thereon; a downwardly flaring, open-ended, bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms, a portion only thereof being inherently and freely expansive, and a portion thereof having an annular bobbin seat.

7. A spindle comprising a spindle blade; a whirl unyieldably mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms, a portion only thereof being inherently and freely expansive, and a portion thereof having an annular bobbin seat.

8. A spindle comprising a spindle blade; a whirl unyieldably mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, open-ended, inherently expansive and divided bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on said spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and independent thereof, said member being of increasing expansive resiliency toward and to its open, lower end and having at said lower end an outwardly extending bobbin seat, and means for modifying the expansive resiliency of said bobbin seat.

9. A spindle comprising a spindle blade, a whirl unyieldably mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, open-ended, bobbin supporting and centering member rigidly mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms, a portion only thereof being inherently and freely expansive, and restraining means engaging the remaining portion of said arms and preventing free expansion thereof. 1

10. 'A spindle comprising a spindle blade, a hirl unyieldably mounted thereon, a

Jdownw'ardly flaring, open-ended bobbin engaging the other arms and preventing free expansion thereof.

, 11. A spindle comprising a spindle blade, a Whirl mounted thereon, a downwardly flaring, bobbin supporting and centering member mounted on the spindle structure above the driving portion of the whirl and longitudinally divided into a series of arms,

'and a surrounding bobbin seating band, a

portion of said arms having outwardly extending feet receiving said band.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES D. LANNING.

Vitnesses:

IRVING U. TOWNSEND, JOHN R. MoUL'roN.

Copies of this .patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

